GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men's tennis team picked up a key conference win against Appalachian State, 5-2, Saturday at the UNCG Tennis Courts.  

The Spartans improve to 11-6, 4-2 in Southern Conference play while Appalachian State falls to 7-11, 4-2 in league action.

UNCG opened the match winning all three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead. Junior Cameron Smith (Jamestown, N.C./Ragsdale) and sophomore Daniel Mack (Lakeland, Fla./Lakeland) defeated Steve Lake and Jack Maddocks, 8-3 at No. 3 doubles. At No. 2 doubles, junior Randy Phillips (Snellville, Ga./Brookwood) and Nazhone Wilkins (Burnsville, Minn./Homeschooled) clinched the point with a 8-4 win against Oliver Casey and Daniel Hoang. In the final doubles match, senior Ahmet Sarioglu (Ankera, Turkey/METU Development Foundation) and sophomore James Dougherty (Melbourne, Australia) won a tiebreaker at No. 1 doubles, 8-7 (7-2), against Zach Bost and Sebastien King.

In singles, Phillips gave the Spartans a 2-0 lead after winning in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2 against Hoang at No. 3 singles. Sarioglu won in straight sets against King, 6-4, 6-4 at No. 1 singles to push UNCG's lead to 3-0.

At No. 6 singles, Smith clinched the victory for UNCG with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 win against Jan-Willem Kleynhans. The Mountaineers picked up their first point after Casey defeated Dougherty, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 at No. 2 singles.

Bost won a third set match against sophomore Gaston Murray (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 at No. 4 singles.

In the final singles match, Mack won in the third set against Maddocks, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 at No. 5 singles.

The Blue and Gold will face Davidson Sunday, April 6 at noon at the UNCG Tennis Courts.

Follow all the action about the 2013-14 UNCG men's tennis team on www.UNCGSpartans.com or on twitter @UNCGMTennis. 

-UNCG-